 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo Faces 3-Match Ban for Red Card |
The Portugal superstar was given his marching orders on 82 minutes after striking out against an opponent, leaving the referee with little choice but to send the mercurial attacker off.
The game was tied at 1-1 when Ronaldo exited the pitch but the Galacticos edged the affair overall, winning 2-1 after a Gareth Bale penalty sealed the points.
Ronaldo will now be suspended for three matches, as violent conduct constitutes a longer ban.
The former Manchester United player has been in exceptional form once again this season, but Madrid should have enough coverage to cope without their star for a few fixtures.
This term, CR7 has smashed an amazing 28 goals in just 18 La Liga games, also providing nine assists for his teammates, Arguably, Ronaldo has started to increase the gap between himself and Lionel Messi in the past year, but the next three games could be an opportunity for Barcelona to catch Madrid.
The Camp Nou team are close to the league leaders and can leapfrog Los Blancos if they slip up.
Ronaldo will surely feel disappointed with his actions, but he clearly let his emotions get the best of him, proving even the best can appear flawed at the vital time.
The Portugal captain will be back on the pitch soon, and there is little doubt he will hit the ground running when he returns. The ban will allow him a short break to heal the minor injuries he has had in the past 12 months, and that will be a huge positive for Madrid in the second half of the season.
